Sweet Disposition
by Pterus
Summary: After the curse is broken, Regina is on the run... and Emma isn't far behind her. Does Regina really have any hope of surviving the angry masses, or will Emma throw her to the hounds? /Rated M for later chapters; AU taking place after Season 1
1. Chapter 1

**Note: First serious crack at a fanfic. Hope everyone enjoys it. Special thanks to my beta. I've still had zero luck on retrieving my e-mail for my previous account, so I am going to continue the story on this account. I know it's been a few years (and I am SO sorry). However, Chapter 4 is currently in the works and will be posted within the next few days. :) For now, please enjoy the first three Chapters. **

* * *

**~Chapter One~**

* * *

As she set down her already half-empty (third) glass of cider on the coffee table in front of her, Regina Mills let out an exhausted sigh. It had been one of the most stressful days of her life, and no amount of alcohol could sooth her sore, aching feet or the headache that was threatening to split her skull open.

As she reached over to check the time on her cellphone, she accidentally knocked it onto the floor beside her chair. "Ah shit," groaned the brunette, a defeated look beginning to overtake the vacant expression that had been plastered on her face for nearly 8 hours. She didn't want to move. She simply wanted to drown her sorrows at the bottom of a cheap tumbler, in hopes of finally passing out and getting some sleep.

She blamed the insomnia on all the excitement from today. She didn't want to believe in the possibility that she might simply be afraid.

"No. I fear no one," whispered the brunette, briefly forgetting the pain radiating throughout her body.

Images of an angry mob, out for their turn at revenge, slowly began to drift back into her mind. She swallowed the terror that was rising within her, as she raised her glass back to her lips and angrily downed the last bit of cider that burned its way down her throat.

"Blech." She made a sour face at the sorry excuse for a drink. She had bought it from a nearby liquor store that was doing a seasonal sale on locally made cider. But any cider that wasn't _her_ cider was inferior. Hers was a well-kept family secret, which Regina had been able to further improve upon over the years, sure to knock anyone on their ass after just a few glasses.

But the effect was basically the same. She had bought the strongest brew she could find, dead-set on making herself forget the day's events.

As her limbs began to feel heavier, she allowed herself to drift into happier thoughts. Twenty-eight years of everything going perfectly for her. She was finally getting the happy ending she deserved, being able to watch her enemies squirm beneath her.

And yet it had all crumbled around her, at the hands of Emma _fucking_ Swan. She had absolutely no experience with magic in her life, and yet she was able to dissolve what was possibly the most powerful curse ever created. Not only that, but the blonde had managed to turn Henry against her.

The betrayal made her blood boil. For 10 years, she had done nothing but care for that boy. Everything she had done for him… the nice clothes, every toy he'd ever wanted, the piano lessons… all for nothing!

Sparks shot from her finger tips as she dug her nails into the arms of the chair she sat in.

She jumped up, startled by the sudden flickers of light and the smell of burnt pleather. After twenty-eight years of not having access to any magic whatsoever, she was still trying to get reacquainted with her power.

Her fingers lifted up slowly in the direction where her cell phone was lying on the floor. As thin silver threads made their way from her hand to where the phone was lying, she focused all of her concentration on levitating it towards her.

The movements were jerky at first, but she reasoned that it was simply from the alcohol, and not years of being out of practice. Just as it was almost in her hand, she heard the loud sound of feet stomping outside her room.

The noise tore her attention from the phone, startling her and causing the phone to fly right at her face.

"Son of a bitch!" Regina stomped her foot on the floor as she grabbed her nose, rushing over to the nearest mirror and trying to examine it through teary eyes.

After a short period of silence, the sound of giggling echoed from the hallway.

Children. That's exactly what Regina needed to deal with right now. Noisy, obnoxious children. She'd never really had patience for any child other than Henry. But he was her own. Her baby boy.

She sneered at the new tears forming in her eyes and stomped towards the door, peeking through the peephole to see if she'd be able to scare the little brats.

She waited a few minutes before swiftly opening the door and jumping out into the hallway, ready to attempt that levitation spell one more time.

They were already gone. With a disappointed sigh, Regina stepped back into her room, letting the door click behind her as she trudged off to the bathroom.

She always hated hotels. Especially low-end hotels such as this one, where the _common people_ tended to stay.

But it was her only option, if she wanted to stay under the radar. After having packed the biggest suitcase she had and fleeing on the earliest bus she could catch, Regina decided that the best place to hide might be the closest to Storybrooke.

No one would suspect her to be just a few towns over, camped out in a middle-class hotel. That would be too obvious. And that's why she chose it.

She raised her eyes back to the mirror in front of her, the swelling of her nose going down now. Her makeup was smeared and her hair was all askew. Even if the mob did somehow find her here, she doubted they'd recognize her like this.

Regina made it a habit to always look her best; perfect hair, perfect makeup, and name-brand clothes. The occasion didn't matter to her, as long as she was dressed to kill and draw the attention of everyone in the room.

But now, she just wanted to be dressed to pass-the-hell-out.

She made her way to her suitcase to change into her pajamas. However, "pajamas" for Regina just meant panties and a silk, black button up shirt. She didn't like feeling so constricted in too many clothes at night. She put up with that enough throughout the rest of the day.

After changing and washing her face, she was finally ready to crash. That is, until she laid eyes on the most hideous comforter she'd ever seen in her life.

"How non-royals reason their sense of style, I will never know." She glared at the hideous tan fabric, as she ran a fingertip along the itchy material.

She supposed one more crack at a spell wouldn't hurt.

Hovering a hand over the bed, she shut out every noise outside of her own heart beating in her chest. She was a bit worried she might blow the whole mattress up if she couldn't gain a steady mindset.

One piece at a time; that's what she'd go with. She would start with the sheets and work her way up.

Getting a clear picture in her head, she felt the magical warmth drifting from her fingers. When she looked up, the stiff sheets and pillowcases had been replaced by soft, Egyptian cotton. Regina grinned widely at the small victory.

"Okay," she whispered. "Now for that comforter from hell."

She wasn't so successful this time. When she looked up again, the hideous comforter had been replaced by an even more hideous, fluffy, pink one. _Pink._

Regina rolled her eyes. She loathed the color pink, but she was much too exhausted to try again. Her muscles seemed to scream at her as she crawled her way up into the bed, moaning in pain.

Just as she was settled under the soft sheet (and the less-than-soft comforter), there was stomping outside the door again.

_That's it._

In a moment of fury, Regina threw the covers off of herself, stomping quickly to the door, ignoring every ache and pain within her legs. She was going to strangle those damn kids.

Just as she slung the door open, she heard a familiar voice booming down the hallway.

"Search every floor, knock on every door! Just find the witch!"

_Shit._ It was Prince James. And from the sound of it, the mob had joined him. So much for her plan of staying close and under the radar.

Just as she was moving to carefully close the door, a hand flew out and stopped it from closing. Regina froze, fear-stricken and unable to move.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry to bother you, but could you please tell me wh-"

Regina's eyes grew wide at the site of the blonde standing in the doorway. Emma Swan stood there, just as wide-eyed and shocked as the woman in front of her. Before either of them could speak, voices echoed down the hallway again.

"Any luck down there, Emma?" It was James again. His voiced pulled the two women out of their trance.

Regina started to frantically shake her head, pleading with her eyes for Emma not to say a word.

"Please," she whispered, in the most desperate voice Emma had ever heard her use. It was that voice which made Emma hesitate.

She called back down the hallway to her father, "Just a second, uh-dad?" The words sounded unfamiliar on her tongue. She made a face like she'd just tasted something bitter.

Emma stepped into the room, forcefully pushing past the brunette and glaring into her dark brown eyes.

"You have ten seconds to give me a good reason why I shouldn't hand your ass over to them right now."

Regina, still in shock, just stared blankly ahead, trying to form thoughts into words that just wouldn't escape her mouth. "I- Um. It's just- Please." It was the only coherent response she could come up with.

Emma simply didn't know what to make of the situation. The Regina she had known just days ago was a force to be reckoned with. Yet here she was, pleading for her life to _Emma_ of all people.

The blonde fought back a smirk and squared herself in front of Regina, feeling larger than life. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen," jabbed the blonde, raising an eyebrow in expectation of a quick retort.

Still nothing. The fallen queen merely narrowed her eyes and said through gritted teeth, "Just make. Your. Move." Her nails were digging into the palm of her hands as she so wished she had the magical energy to throw this bitch across the room.

Emma's firm stance relaxed a little, seemingly weighing, in her head, the pros and cons of turning Regina in. Her eyes once again met those of the woman in front of her. "So, what was your plan of action, providing that you didn't get caught?"

Regina took a step forward. "Why, for the love of all that is Prada, would I tell _you_ that?"

The blonde imitated her movement and stepped closer, now inches from her face. "Because if you don't, I'll throw you to the dogs." Her threat seemed almost perfectly punctuated by the still-loud chants of "Find her!" and "Make her pay!" down the hallway.

"Well, Miss Swan, we don't really seem to have the time to discuss my 'plan of action'. So, I suggest you-"

"Fine," interrupted the blonde. "I can send them on their way and get a room. Then you'll have all night to explain. And if you still choose not to spill, I do have several members of the mob on speed dial, ready to tear you a new one at any hour of the day." She smirked. Emma really enjoyed being on the other end of a Regina conflict. It was a surprisingly powerful feeling.

Just as Regina opened her mouth to protest, she heard footsteps approaching, and immediately hid herself behind the door.

"Hey Em, find anything?" It was Ruby. Well, Red. Regina saw through the crack in the door that the young woman was wearing some of the skimpiest clothing she'd ever seen, as usual. She impatiently rolled her eyes.

"Uh, no. Nothing here. I noticed this door was ajar and came to check it out. The maid must have just forgot to close it all the way," Emma replied, in a rather convincing tone.

Red didn't give the slightest hint of suspicion. "Well alright. I think we're all gonna head back to Storybrooke for the night and continue our search tomorrow. It's getting a bit late, and my calves are killing me." She let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Sounds good," replied Emma. "I actually think I'm gonna get a room here for the night. I'd like to get a nice head start on the search tomorrow, just in case Regina is somewhere around here and tries to make an early break for it. My bet is that she looks like hell and is about to collapse from exhaustion."

A scoff came from behind the door. Regina couldn't wait to get to show that insolent little ass who she was really dealing with.

"Did you hear something," Red asked, cocking her head to the side like a confused dog. _How ironic_, thought Regina, a sarcastic grin spreading across her face.

Emma pretended to briefly look around. "Nope. Don't think so."

"Hm. Alright. Well I guess we'll all head off then. Should I let everyone know you're staying?"

"Sure," Emma replied. "I've got a change of clothes and a toothbrush somewhere in my car, so I don't think I'll need anything."

Red nodded, gave Emma a quick hug, and walked off into the direction she'd come from.

It wasn't long after Emma had closed the door that the hallway grew quiet once again. Now it was just her and Regina.

"Well," started Emma. "I'm going down the hall to the lobby to check in. So I'll obviously notice if you try to escape. I suggest you sit and wait for me like a good little mayor, until I get back."

"Bite me." Regina's gaze seemed to burn through her.

The blonde let out a small chuckle. She was so amused by how vulgar the brunette was in such stressful situations.

Emma conveniently got the room next to Regina's, which joined to hers with a door that usually stayed locked by other guests. But Emma insisted that Regina keep it open at all times, so she'd be able to hear if Regina really did try to make an early escape.

She knew the woman wouldn't be going anywhere tonight. Emma hadn't exactly made up the "looking like hell" bit with Ruby, no matter how funny it was to pick at Regina.

But the queen knew she had absolutely no hope of getting any sleep tonight, until she at least fed Emma a semi-believable "plan of action".

It was going to be a long(er) night

* * *

**Note: To be continued... Reviews would be lovely. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**~Chapter 2~**

* * *

"You're lying. You know I can tell when people do that." Emma was sitting at the foot of Regina's hotel bed, still prodding for information, as the brunette held a pillow over her face in an attempt to block the other woman's voice out.

She hadn't slept in 19 hours and she was barely hanging onto sanity, her buzz long worn-off. She loudly mumbled something from under the pillow, as she forcefully kicked the pestering blonde in the thigh.

"Damn it, Regina! Stop kicking me, take the pillow off of your face, and _quit being such a whiney little bitch_!"

The brunette shot up, chucking the pillow into Emma's face. "I _said,_ 'I already told you everything'. Whether or not you believe me is _your_ problem, Miss Swan. I am severely sleep-deprived and ready to turn your very _soul_ inside-out, if you don't give me some peace and quiet!" She emphasized the last part by getting into Emma's face.

"Which brings me to my next question," replied the blonde, ignoring her. "Is that what you normally wear to bed, or is this just a special occasion?" She cocked an eyebrow at her and gave a wide grin.

Up until now, Regina had completely forgotten how scantily clad she was in red lace panties and a black button-up shirt. She threw the covers back over her legs with a huff. "Not even in your _wildest_ dreams, Sherriff."

"No need to get so touchy. Was just wondering." Emma was clearly getting too much entertainment at Regina's expense tonight. She just couldn't help it. Finally, it was Regina's turn to be cut down and victimized. It was the least she deserved, after the hell she'd put thousands of people through.

"Look," Emma continued with a sigh. "I'll leave you to sleep."

A relieved sigh escaped Regina's lips.

"If…" Of course there was a condition. Regina just couldn't win for losing. "If you give me the _actual_ truth tomorrow. None of this 'I was going to run away to Canada and never bother anyone again' bullshit. I think I know you well enough, Madame Mayor, to realize you don't just leave an opportunity of revenge, for the land of maple syrup." She paused, giving Regina a more serious look. "And I also know you really do love Henry."

Regina met her eyes at that. She really did love him. He was all she had, even if he wasn't ready to see the love she had for him.

Emma continued. "But know this, _Your Majesty._ He's also my son, and I love him too. I know he doesn't wish any harm on you. But if you truly want him back in your life, then you have some serious shit to sort out. So whatever you may be plotting, put it aside. It's our son, or your revenge. You can't have both."

It was the most deadly Regina had heard her sound all night. It was the last thing Emma said before getting up and leaving for her own room to get some sleep.

She had been right. Regina was plotting. But of course, Regina wasn't going to cave that easily. Old habits die hard. She was hell-bent on having her cake and eating it too; getting her revenge and keeping Henry. Facing the alternative, harsh reality was too much for her at the moment. She had no real hope of getting anywhere with her scheme, without her beauty sleep.

The brunette gave into her exhaustion, allowing it to consume her as she fell asleep faster than she had in her entire life.

She didn't dream that night. But then again, Regina Mills hadn't dreamt in years.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

She awoke to the sound of persistent knocking on the door.

She would have just ignored it and continued her blissful slumber, but whoever it was just wouldn't quit. Regina grudgingly crawled out from underneath the warm sheets and blindly made her way to the door, her eyes struggling to gain focus.

As her eyesight began to clear, she peered through the small peep-hole to find a very petite, very awkward woman in a maid's uniform, standing next to her cleaning cart. Regina opened the door to tell the woman that her services were not currently needed, but before she could say a word, the small woman's face flushed a bright pink and she began to nervously ramble in Spanish, taking her cart and scurrying down the hallway.

_What the hell_, Regina thought to herself, stifling a yawn. She closed the door and began to walk to the bathroom, when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She was still in her "pajamas". Regina gave a small chuckle at the image in her mind of the maid blushing. It wasn't usual for Regina to be so easily flattered by people she considered to be "the help". In fact, there was once a time in her life when she could really turn a few heads, and break a few necks. But while everyone else in the world seemed to be out for her head at the moment, she'd take whatever compliments she could get.

It then hit Regina that the maid wasn't the only one who'd recently seen her in her bedroom attire. She made her way into the room next door, looking forward to waking the blonde in the most inconvenient, rude way possible. After all, she would have deserved it after procrastinating Regina's sleep last night.

Emma, however, had already been up much earlier; her bed having been made and her bag no longer in the room.

_Hmm. Perhaps she left?_ Regina entertained the idea, and finally decided that must be what happened. Emma would never give her even the smallest window of escape by accident. _But what if she just left to fetch the mob?_ Terror hit Regina to her very core.

She wasn't going to stick around to find out just where Emma had gone. For all she knew, Emma got a head start back to Storybrooke and was on her way with the vicious crowd right now.

She quickly threw on clothes, tossed all of her belongings back into her bag, and stormed out the door. She power-walked her way down the hallway, her suitcase barely staying balanced on its wheels as she juggled to get her purse on her shoulder. As she rounded the corner into the lobby, her body impacted full-force with another. The next thing she knew, Regina was flat on her ass, staring up at a very pleased-looking Emma Swan.

"Great! You're up. I was just coming to wake you. We need to get going." Emma Swan did her best to hide a cocky grin, but from the look on the mayor's face, she wasn't succeeding. She held her hand out to assist the woman in standing up; a sort of unspoken apology.

Regina reluctantly took the blonde's hand and stood up. "I thought you'd left. I was just-"

"Making a break for it," Emma interrupted her. "Sorry to get your hopes up. I ate some breakfast, packed my stuff back into the car, and checked out. I suggest you do the same. There's no food at my house."

The brunette scoffed. "Your _house? _What makes you think I'm actually going to stay at your house, in _Storybrooke,_ the exact place I'm trying to get away from?! And besides, I thought you were living with Mary Margaret. Excuse me, I mean _Snow White._"

"Well, for one," began the blonde in a very matter-of-fact tone, "you're going to stay with me because right now, your life is in my hands. So if you value your life, I'd say it's in your best interest to do as I say. Secondly, it won't exactly look great for me to still be living with my mother, if I want to get custody of-"

Emma stopped, mid-sentence. She realized she'd just stuck her foot in her mouth, noting the evident hurt in the other woman's eyes. She quickly tried to compensate for her previous statement. "Look, all I'm saying is that someone needs to take care of Henry until you can get your own life sorted out."

Regina simply stood up straight, holding her head high as if this conversation wasn't ripping her heart to shreds. "And how, exactly, do you expect me to stay at your" she paused, rolling her eyes, "_home_, without Henry noticing my presence?"

She rested a hand on her hip, waiting for a response. Of course, Emma immediately had one ready. "Well, Henry has actually been staying with my parents while I get the house fixed up. I'm also pretty busy with my Sherriff duties, since you seem to have left the townspeople in total chaos, which is also why we need to be getting back _today._ Someone has to keep order."

"And what do you propose I do when he _is_ visiting you? Hm?" Regina was seriously doubting Emma's plan, although she could clearly see how much thought the blonde had put into this. _Interesting that she would be so enthusiastic about me living with her,_ Regina thought to herself, before pushing the thought aside as she waited for a response to her question.

"I have a basement. We can set up a living area for you down there, during the few hours he visits, and you can come out whenever he isn't there. I can just tell Henry that the stairs are a little rotted and that I'm not really comfortable with him risking injury going down them. He actually listens to _me._" She smiled to herself when the last bit made Regina stare daggers at her.

"_Excuse me?_ A _basement? _Who do you think I am?! Maleficent?" Regina's voice had raised, causing people in the lobby to stare.

"Can't say I'd be surprised," Emma retorted. "You both have bad attitudes and breathe fire."

"Well aren't you just a snarky little brat, Sherriff Swan," Regina snapped back in a mocking tone.

Emma laughed. "'Brat'? Really? What happened to 'bite me'? Your vocabulary seems to get a little less colorful when you're sober, Madame Mayor."

"Don't be mistaken, Miss Swan. I am still much higher than you on the social class ladder."

"Oh yeah. I can see that." Emma gestured to Regina's wrinkled clothes and messy hair. "Let's just get going. I'll go put your bags in my car. You go check out. Grab a banana or something for the road. We need to be going now."

They didn't say a word to each other the whole car ride. Emma thought about what she was going to do to keep Regina hidden, and more importantly, how she could help Regina change for the better.

Regina, on the other hand, thought about nothing but how impatient she was to get used to her magic again. She'd do her best to turn this awful situation into something advantageous, allowing her power to build up until she would finally be able to rid herself of the blonde for good. Regina's plans still weren't going to make her, hopefully short, stay at Emma's any easier.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Emma's house was small; two bedrooms, one bathroom. The basement was dark and smelled musty, boxes of Emma's things were still piled in random corners of the room, and Emma had been right about there being nothing to eat. It definitely wasn't a comfortable mansion or a huge palace, like she'd always preferred.

Emma's room was very plain. It consisted of a half-empty closet, a queen-sized bed, an oak dresser, and one night stand. Regina was appalled by Emma's lack of style in the interior design department. It was even worse than her sense of fashion.

The smaller room across the hall wasn't much different. There was a twin-sized bed, a nightstand, an empty closet, and a bookshelf. Regina paused to examine the books, a sudden realization hitting her. _They're Henry's books. _She didn't know what to make of the sight, and whether or not she should feel angry. It had only been a day and he was already starting to move in with Emma.

The blonde approached and quietly stood in the doorway. "You're welcome to stay in here when Henry isn't home. We can get the basement properly set up for you tomorrow. I've also got an air mattress if you'd prefer it."

Regina met her gaze, trying to keep her composure as best she could. "I- um. I think I'll just sleep in the living room, on the air mattress, tonight. I can set it up later when I'm ready for bed."

She didn't feel right staying in Henry's room. She didn't feel like she truly _belonged_ in Henry's room. He wouldn't want her there, so why should she be? She felt a pang in her heart.

Emma nodded. "Well, I have a few phone calls to make and some errands to run. I assume I can trust you to stay put? The dwarves started a "town watch" team, so I don't think you'd go unnoticed if you tried to run."

"Fine," Regina replied, in a monotone.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Emma was out most of the day. Meanwhile, Regina did her best to keep herself preoccupied.

She began with Henry's books. She remembered when he was much younger and he would beg for her to read him stories, many of which were there on the bookshelf. He'd sit in her lap as she read the Harry Potter books or "The Boxcar Children". She'd only gotten to the 5th page of "The Boxcar Children", before she realized her tears were falling onto the pages.

Regina Mills hadn't felt this heartbroken since she lost Daniel over four decades ago. Stopping time in Storybrooke had never stopped the pain of losing him though. She didn't think she'd ever be able to let go of the past. Then again, she didn't really want to. Revenge was all that had fueled Regina all these years; it was her only companion.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Night seemed to fall quickly. Emma came back at around 10 o'clock, a McDonald's dinner for Regina in hand. Emma couldn't cook to save her life, and everything in Storybrooke was closed at this hour, so it was the best she could do.

Aside from the fact that Regina hated fast food, she didn't really have much of an appetite tonight. She picked at her chicken sandwich for a while before finally wrapping it back up and setting it in the refrigerator.

Emma had taken a shower and gone to bed without a word. Regina did the same, after her.

And still, no dreams invaded Regina's sleep

* * *

**Note: To be continued…**

**But until then, reviews would be just wonderful. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: Special thanks to my beta. I had a bit of writer's block on this one, and she was a lot of help. Enjoy **

* * *

**~Chapter 3~**

* * *

Regina was up long before Emma this morning. Having gotten more sleep than the night before, she found that her body was trying to stay on its usual schedule. So by 7am, she had already dressed, done her hair, and applied her makeup. Not until she was finished did she realize it was pointless. It wasn't like she'd be going anywhere soon. Then again, she also didn't have any casual clothes in her suitcase to wear around the house. So the short black, almost cocktail-like, dress was what she'd chosen to wear.

She'd spent quite a pretty penny for a dress that was so simple. It clung to her body in all the right places, accentuating her curves in a way that almost made her body feel as if she were being caressed by a lover. It's gracefully dipping neckline was emphasized by a beautiful silver necklace, with a single black onyx embedded at the end, dangling just above her cleavage.

She realized how hungry she was when her stomach started to loudly growl at her. She'd forgotten that she hadn't eaten dinner last night. But she also wasn't in the mood for the leftover McDonald's chicken sandwich in the fridge, either.

She made her way into the kitchen and opened the door to the refrigerator. Her face fell as she examined the contents. It contained every condiment that one could possibly need, yet there was not a scrap of actual food to put any of it on. "I don't understand that woman," Regina mumbled to herself. How did Miss Swan expect to take care of Henry, when she couldn't even take care of _herself. _Fast food is not sufficient nourishment for a growing boy.

_I suppose it's time for another try at magic, _Regina thought to herself, rubbing her hands together as if warming up. She waved her hand over the stove and counter, a light purple smoke drifting from her fingertips. A package of bacon, a dozen eggs, bread, apple butter, and cooking utensils appeared before her. Regina nearly squealed in delight. She was improving, and it totally wanted to make her do a victory dance around Emma's kitchen.

Instead of using magic to cook all of the food, and risk burning Emma's house to the ground, Regina decided she'd just cook it herself. She didn't mind cooking. It had actually always been quite a stress-reliever for her after she'd come to this world. In the other world, she'd simply just wave her hand or have the cooks prepare something for her. But after the curse, Regina would spend hours a day going through cookbooks and trying different recipes, determined to master the skill.

Regina then made a mental note to build her own kitchen in the palace, when she was finally able to return to her rightful place on the throne.

Emma awoke to the smell of bacon. At first, she thought she was dreaming. That was, until she heard the unmistakable "click-click-click" of high heels, coming from her kitchen. _Regina._

After rolling over to check the time, she got out of bed and made her way down the hallway, her mouth watering at the delicious smell drifting in her direction. She rounded the corner to find Regina hovering over the stove, flipping the bacon over in its pan. _I don't remember buying any pots or pans, _Emma thought to herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Regina accidentally dropped her spatula on the floor, silently cursing and bending over to retrieve it.

Emma's mind was blown, to say the least. She'd never truly noticed how nice the mayor's ass looked. Long, toned legs seemed to further give prominence to it. A chill ran up the blonde's back, and she quickly tried to shake away the less-than-clean thoughts that were beginning to cloud her mind.

Regina jumped in surprise when she turned to see the blonde standing behind her. "Sherriff Swan, the _least _you could do is make your presence known, instead of sneaking up on me while I'm standing next to a hot stove. I could have been burned!"

The blonde ignored her frustration, still taking in what the woman in front of her was wearing. "Do you always wear stilettos while you cook?"

Regina rolled her eyes as she cleaned off the spatula. "No. Just when I can see that the carpets in this house haven't been shampooed in years. It's disgusting." She turned back to the stove, poking at the bacon again. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Uh. Over easy, please." Emma awkwardly took a seat at the small dining room table she'd bought from Mr. Gold's pawn shop, just days before. Half of it was covered in boxes of kitchen stuff, given to her by Snow White, that she had yet to unpack. She watched as the brunette cracked some eggs into a skillet and moved about the kitchen, seemingly making herself at home. There was something oddly comforting about it to Emma. She was completely intrigued by how natural the otherwise stiff woman looked right now.

Regina turned off the stove and served the food. She was a little annoyed that the only dishware she could find was plastic, but it would do for now. As she poured orange juice for herself and Emma, the blonde had already started eating. Her lack of manners tended to annoy Regina. Emma had practically devoured the plate itself, by the time Regina got to the table. _Oh well. _She supposed she'd take it as a compliment.

"Thanks for breakfast. It was good. I-uh. I appreciate it." She didn't make eye contact with the brunette next to her, delicately picking at her food.

"Well, I refuse to eat the slop you call 'dinner', so I'll be making that tonight too." She took a drink of orange juice, ignoring the glare that spread across Emma's face. She didn't want Emma getting too chummy with her. Distance needed to be maintained between them.

The blonde stood up to throw away her plate and cup. "Knock yourself out, Your Majesty. I have work in an hour, so I'm gonna get ready. There are movies in the box by the tv, so you can keep yourself entertained while I'm gone. Leave my other things alone." She shot Regina a warning look before she made her way back down the hallway.

_Not likely,_ Regina thought to herself. She was dying for Emma to leave so she could organize this dump, before she went insane.

She caught herself eyeing the blonde as she walked away. _She should wear boxers more often. _She mentally kicked herself; a reminder to stick to the plan. _Distance, Regina. Distance._

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Not even five minutes after Emma had left, Regina began cleaning. Of course she wasn't going to listen to Emma. Regina Mills takes orders from no one!

She began with the kitchen, which had luckily only taken an hour, after putting away everything in the boxes, scrubbing the counters, mopping the floor, and using a bit of magic for the rest. She moved onto the living room, then the bathroom, then the bedrooms. She was beginning to sweat from moving around so much, her hair sticking to the back of her neck.

Finally, after five additional hours of dusting, unpacking, vacuuming, rearranging, and scrubbing, she was finished. She was relieved that the small amounts of magic she had used didn't ruin anything, and the house was looking a thousand times better. All that was left was the basement, soon to be Regina's hideout.

She hated the thought of having to hide. It made her feel weak and outraged. But she supposed if she _had_ to do it, then she was sure as hell going to set up a nice hideout. She made her way down the stairs, the creaking sounds and shaky handrail making her nervous. It was a fairly decent-sized basement. The smell was a little less than pleasant, but Regina liked that it had at least a small amount of sunlight that came in through two half-windows on one wall. She waved her hands in front of them, more light brightening the room as they were magically cleaned. As she turned to examine the room again, she made a displeased frown at the dust and cobwebs that layered around her.

_Time to try something a little harder._ At least with this spell, she didn't have much to destroy in the room, so she wasn't worried about a failure. She raised both hands above her, as she willed her body to release its magic. The dirt and dust began to disappear, leaving behind a spotless floor and walls. The cobwebs began to vanish out of thin air, from each corner of the room. Finally, the warped wood of the handrail to the stairs began to straighten out, as if it were a snake, slowly readjusting its form. A wide grin spread across the woman's face. She couldn't believe how easy that was for her. At this rate, she could be out of here and destroying lives in a matter of days.

Her confidence was almost completely restored as she began to furnish and decorate the room. A wave of her hand here, and the horrible smell was replaced by the scent of apple spice. A flick of her wrist there, and a gorgeous regal-looking black and white rug spread across most of the floor in front of her. She wanted it to look as close to "home" as possible. She conjured up a large, black leather sofa for the middle of the room, with two ebony wood end tables on each side. A small electric chandelier, looking as if it were made of tangled black vines, appeared overhead. Short, white and black curtains adorned the small windows.

She faced the wall opposite her, and threw a small amount of magic light in its direction. A hanging flat screen television appeared, a tall dvd shelf of her favorite movies next to it. "Oh, the money I could have saved with magic in this world."

She then made a large black wardrobe appear in the corner of the room. Upon opening it, she was delighted to find beautiful, name brand clothing; blacks, whites, reds, golds, and purples. That was how she liked it, and how she expected royalty to dress.

Finally, she finished her decoration spree with a mini fridge and a bookcase, filled with all her favorite texts. With a satisfied smile, Regina walked back up the now-even stairs and headed to the bathroom for a nice, warm bubble bath.

By the time she was finished, it was nearly 6 o'clock. Regina wasn't sure what time Emma would be back, but she knew she didn't plan on waiting for her to eat dinner. She decided on lemon and garlic roast chicken, which normally would have taken an hour and a half to prepare. But Regina luckily had her magic down enough to speed up the process.

Just as she was plating her own food, she heard the front door open. _Here it comes,_ she thought to herself. "Regina!" The brunette set the plate down, as she heard the blonde approaching, bracing herself for an argument.

One thing! There was _one thing_ I asked you _specifically _not to do, and was not to touch my shi-" She stopped, mid-sentence, mouth dropped open at the sight in front of her. Regina was wearing a robe; a rather skimpy robe. It was black silk, with a cursive "R" embroidered in gold over her left breast. It draped off one shoulder and the bottom was well above mid-thigh length. The skin on Regina's legs seemed to glisten.

As she watched green eyes surveying her body, Regina's breath caught in her throat. No one had looked at her like that in a very long time. It made her hands shake, and her mind reel. She immediately expelled the thoughts from her mind. "Do you want some chicken, or are you just going to stand there and stare?"

Emma snapped her head up, locking eyes with the woman in front of her. "Um. Yes please. It smells good." She broke eye contact with the brunette, blushing from being caught.

Regina couldn't hide the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Have a seat. I'll bring it over." Emma did as she was told.

"So, how was your day?" Emma was trying to direct Regina's away from the awkward situation that had just transpired.

"Long. Tiring. Boring," Regina replied, as she leaned over Emma to set her plate in front of her and join her at the table.

Emma tried to pretend that the other woman being so close didn't make her nervous. "Well, I can imagine how exhausting it must have been for you to invade my privacy and go through my stuff. Nothing new there. Right, Madame Mayor?"

"Well, the house was revolting and we both know you wouldn't have gotten your things in order any time soon. Nothing new there. Right, Miss Swan?" She took a sip of the wine sitting in front of her. "A simple 'thank you' will do."

The house did look rather nice. But Emma wasn't going to let Regina know that. So she ate her meal in silence, also refraining from letting Regina know how wonderful it tasted.

After finishing their meal, Regina cleared the table and began rinsing the dishes. Emma hesitantly walked up next to her. "Thank you for dinner, Regina." The brunette nodded her head. "You wash, I'll dry?"

"Fine." Regina scrubbed the first plate and handed it to Emma. They were both without words for each other. The amount of awkward in the air could have been cut through with a knife. Although, apparently, Emma's fingers could be too.

"Shit!" She wasn't paying attention when Regina was handing her one of the steak knives and she'd grabbed the wrong end. She looked down at her hand to see three of her fingers had been cut open, blood running down her palm.

"Oh, my God! Emma, I'm so sorry." Regina grabbed a towel and pressed it firmly onto Emma's fingers. The blonde just stared at her. "What," Regina asked. "What's wrong?"

"You called me 'Emma'. That's- um. It's just a first."

The brunette looked back down at the wound, hovered her hand over it. "May I?" She looked back up at Emma, raising an eyebrow. Emma raised one back. "Uh. Sure?" She wasn't sure exactly what it was Regina was asking permission to do.

Suddenly, a warm purple mist began to radiate from Regina's hand and onto Emma's. Within seconds, the cuts were completely healed, leaving behind a slight tingle in Emma's fingers. "Woah," the blonde whispered, wide-eyed. "I was wondering how you got the house looking so new. And where the food came from."

"Don't be mistaken, Miss Swan. Most of the cleaning was me. You're welcome. And why so surprised? Magic is back. Have you not seen anyone else out and about using it?"

"No," Emma replied. "I think they're all 'out of practice' or something. And still pretty confused."

_Good, _thought Regina. _I'm a step ahead of them. Taking them out should be that much easier, with just a bit more practice._

* * *

**Note: To be continued…**


End file.
